


Reckless

by gmariam19 (gmariam)



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Eventual Poe Dameron/Finn, Fighting, Injured Poe Dameron, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Pre-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Some angst, alternating pov, injured Finn, talking it out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26805871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gmariam/pseuds/gmariam19
Summary: Poe knows that Finn thinks he's a reckless flyboy, but he didn't think it would hurt so much. Finn knows that Poe is their best pilot, but still can't help lashing out at him. Only Finn is the one who keeps messing up, so maybe he's the reckless one.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 46
Kudos: 102





	1. Chapter 1

One

Poe jumps down from the ladder of his X-wing and hurries over to Snap's ship. Karè is already there, but even with his wife waiting, Snap is slower coming down the ladder. The mission was a success, but with a cost: Snap's dislocated his shoulder (again) and Poe probably needs sutures (again) and they're both battered, bruised, and hungry. Again. Poe grins at Karè, but she glares at him so hard he actually takes a step back. Snap makes it to the ground, and Poe lets them have their moment.

He tries not to feel left out, but he does; no one else is there, and Poe is disappointed more people haven't come to greet them. They're only a day late, but doesn't that warrant at least _someone_ besides Karè looking worried and relieved to see them? It's early evening and seems quieter than usual; he wonders if something is going on that's kept everyone away, if that's why no one is there hugging him like Karè is embracing Snap. Why Finn isn't—

He shakes his head, because it's not like that, not anymore. He shouldn't expect Finn to be there every time he comes back from a mission, even if they used to wish each other good luck and welcome each other back every time. Finn has his own job to do; he could even be off planet. Still, Poe can't help but sigh when Karè starts walking Snap to the medbay on the _Tantive IV_ , leaving him alone with his ship. It's not the kind of welcome he's used to, or one he likes. He feels like he did something wrong, but can't figure out what it might be. Karè turns and raises an eyebrow.

"He's not coming," she tells him, as if reading Poe's mind. "So you may as well walk with us and get that gash looked at."

"It's fine," Poe tells her, and Snap rolls his eyes.

"It's deep and ugly and it hurts to look at, so get over here."

"Unless you want another scar marring your pretty face," Karè adds, and Poe follows quickly. He's known her long enough to be wary of her threats, even as her commanding officer.

"So where is everyone?" he asks. "We missing a party?"

She shakes her head and answers the real question behind his words. "It's been a slow day and most people are taking it easy. I think Finn's with Rey. And no, I don't know what they're doing."

"Avoiding you," says Snap. "Whatever you've done, he's been pissed at you for weeks. 'Course he's not going to welcome you back."

"What the hell?" Poe asks. "How could I do something to make him mad half a galaxy away?" He grumbles some more. "I know he thinks I'm reckless, but he wasn't even there!"

Karè gives him a look of sympathy. His pilots all know that he and Finn have been struggling to find their footing for the last few weeks, arguing and fighting so much that they generally avoid one another now. When they do meet, Poe is so hurt and upset by the silence or the shouting that he ends up leaving. He knows a lot of it is stress, exhaustion, and misunderstandings, but Snap is right: Finn is clearly mad at him about something, and he won't talk about it other than to give Poe a hard time for everything he does. Poe is both frustrated and sad; he misses Finn, misses going out on missions with him, talking with him, laughing with him.

Karè doesn't answer, and Poe finds his disappointment growing. They arrive at the medbay and Kalonia gives him and Snap her usual speech about trying not to lose a body part on every mission. They haven't lost any yet, which Poe points out only to receive another glare in response, but at least she doesn't tell him to stop. She puts six sutures in his head, and he hurries to his tiny bunk on the _Tantive IV_. He still hasn't seen Finn, and he's getting to the point where he's not sure if he wants to anymore. It's like he can feel Finn's ire from wherever he is on base, and he's pretty sure he'd only get another earful from Finn, like he did from Kalonia.

Grabbing some new clothes, Poe jumps in the fresher and cleans up, then finds something to eat before heading back out to his ship. It's still fairly quiet, but he runs into Jess and asks her if she's seen Finn. The look of pity he gets is enough to send him walking before she can answer.

"How's it look?" he asks BB-8, who stayed behind to go over some spots that were affected by their hasty retreat from Nar Shaddaa. The astromech gives him a report, then whistles his own question.

"I don't know, buddy," Poe tells him. "I haven't seen 'em. I haven't seen anyone but Jess." It's not that late—the sun's barely set—and he still doesn't understand the cold shoulder. He needs to find Leia and deliver his report, though, so maybe he'll find them with her. "Come on," he tells BB-8. "Let's go see the General, maybe we'll see them there."

BB-8 trills happily and lets himself down through the droid socket, then rolls along beside Poe. But Finn is not with Leia, and after going over the mission with her, Poe walks back to his bunk with BB-8 without ever seeing him.

And it hurts far more than Poe would have thought.

* * *

"You should at least say good-bye," Rey tells him as he stuffs whatever he can into his bag. Finn shrugs in reply, and she sighs like she's disappointed in him. "Finn, he came back last night. He asked about you, and Leia said he was clearly disappointed not to see you."

"Then maybe he should have made it back on time," Finn tells her. "Because I have to leave now."

"You have time to see him," she says. "He didn't do anything wrong! They got the supplies and made it back."

"And?" Finns stops, gives her a pointed look. "Was he hurt? Was his ship damaged? What about Snap?"

"Yes," she admits reluctantly. "And yes. But Leia said it was only a cut, Snap hurt his shoulder, and BB-8's already fixed the ship!" Finn rolls his eyes, turns, and leaves. She hurries after him, speaking low. "I don't understand what's going on between you two," she says. "Why are you always upset at him now?"

"I'm not mad at him," Finn tells her. "I'm tired of him taking every assignment he can, putting himself out there when there are others who can do the same thing he does, and maybe without all the extra blood and carbon scoring. He's gonna get himself killed!"

Rey pulls back in surprise, then stops him with a hand on his arm. "Finn, how is what Poe does any different than what you do? You're going with Chewie to meet a new informant on Ord Mantell. That's a dangerous place, and it could be a trap. How is that any different than Snap and Poe picking up supplies on Nar Shaddaa?"

"Because I'm not coming back in pieces," Finn tells her, and keeps walking.

"Neither did he," she says. "Look, I'd be the first to agree that Poe takes a lot of big risks, but he's also really good at what he does. Don't ever tell him I said that," she adds quickly at his look of surprise. "But he is. You know that. You've worked with him the most, and you work so well together. Only you haven't been out on a mission in weeks. I don't understand," she says again. "What changed?"

Finn's not sure how to answer that question. He and Poe have spent months flying missions together, and they're good together. They've had their share of mishaps, but it isn't any one thing that changed it all. More like a series of failures, one after another: they'd lost a contact on one of their missions, shot dead while handing off the data to Poe; Finn had crashed their speeder trying to escape a First Order patrol on Corellia; they'd had to hide out on Dantooine and wait for fuel after trying to outrun a TIE fighter squadron Finn was sure would give up on them. All small failures—they survived, after all—but Finn is bothered by each one. It's like the inner voice he's always counted on to guide him is letting him down.

He knows it's not Poe's fault—not the mishaps, and not Finn's feelings about them. Poe is the best pilot they have. He is a better leader than he thinks he is, and surprisingly good at going undercover for all the attention he likes to draw. He can think fast, shoot well, and hold his own in a fight, and nine times out of ten he makes it out of a bad situation relatively unscathed. Yet for some reason, it is that last one that Finn finds himself thinking about the most: the one Poe doesn't make it out of, doesn't survive. He wants to be out there with Poe and keep him safe, but at the same time he is so worried about the possibility of something going wrong again, of letting everyone down—especially Poe—that he doesn't want to talk to Poe at all. He snaps at him instead, pushes him away.

It almost doesn't make sense; he doesn't understand why it bothers him so much, why he reacts the way he does. He tells himself it's because doesn't want to lose anyone, even a reckless idiot like Poe Dameron, but deep down, he knows there's more to it, only he doesn't know what.

"Rey," he tells her. "Nothing changed. I just need to figure out how to deal with this on my own."

"Deal with what?" she asks, throwing her hands up in the air.

"With—"

He's saved from having to make up something when Chewbacca walks by and claps him on the back, almost knocking him over. "Yeah, I'm ready. Gotta go, Rey." He kisses her on the cheek, earning yet another look of surprise. "See you when I'm back."

"Be careful!" she calls as he runs after Chewie.

"Always am!" he shouts back.

But it feels like a lie. Maybe he's actually the reckless one.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to @mssrj_335 for their help!! The story is mostly done so I'll be updating every few days as I edit. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Two

Poe has his flight suit on and is walking out of the cave toward his ship when he literally bumps into Rey. He's been stuck in his head all week, thinking about Finn; apparently, he can't get out of it and doesn't even notice she's there. He grins to apologize, but when he tries to walk around her, she shifts and blocks him.

"You're leaving?" she asks. "Finn's coming back today."

"I don't call the orders, I just follow 'em," Poe tells her. "We're off to Kuat to make some more trouble."

She frowns. "But he's been gone for days. You're not even going to wait and say goodbye?"

He bites back his immediate response—Finn didn't say goodbye when he left for Ord Mantell with Chewie—and shrugs, hoping he sounds more casual than he feels. "It's not the first time we've missed each other," he tells her.

"When was the last time you talked to him?" she demands. "Because this isn't right, Poe. You're friends, and you work so well together, and—"

"Oh, really, we do?" he asks, and boy, he sure didn't hold it together for very long, did he? "Because whenever we talk, he tears into me for every little thing I do, right or wrong. Finn thinks I'm a reckless flyboy, Rey. He's not interested in working with me anymore." He takes a deep breath to step away from the hurt and anger. "And that's fine. I'm still going to do my job. And right now, I'm flying cover so we can nick a few more ships at Kuat. Finn's the one who picked up the intel, you know."

Rey looks slightly startled by his vehemence, and he rubs a hand over his face and apologizes. "I'm sorry," he tells her. "It's not your fault, and I know you're only trying to help. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"I know," she says. "But you're obviously upset about it, and he is, too. I don't see why you can't sit down and talk about it."

"Because we're not on the same planet at the same time anymore?" Poe suggests.

"Poe—"

"Rey," he stops her. "Tell him I'm sorry I missed him, and I'll try not to come back in a body bag, okay? But I have to go be reckless." He walks away, grinning when she huffs behind him.

"Be careful!" she calls.

He waves over his shoulder at her. "I'll try!"

"Try harder!" she shouts.

And that's the rub, isn't it? He always tries hard. He tries hard _to win_. To get the job done: get the intel, win the fight, make some damn progress. He takes risks and maybe he takes some big ones, but Poe tries to take calculated risks, not dumb ones. Especially after the _Raddus_. Not anymore.

For a while, Finn believed in him. Poe wishes he knew what changed.

* * *

Finn sits in command with Leia, listening in on the comms as Black Squadron flies into Kuat with Dross Squadron. The contact he and Chewie met on Ord Mantell told them the First Order had half a dozen new ships under construction, mostly finished and theirs for the taking because Kuat was still recovering from the last time it was hit. Snap's recon had confirmed minimal security, and they'd decided to try and replicate their success at Bracca before the situation changed.

But the mission goes wrong fast: three squadrons of TIE fighters appear moments after they arrive, as if they were waiting for the call. The firefight is quick and brutal, and they don't steal anything from the First Order. They lose one pilot, and six more come home injured, with Pacer's ship crash landing bad enough for a total loss.

Poe ends up in a bacta tank with a concussion, a broken collarbone, and two cracked ribs.

Finn doesn't visit. He can't face another failure.

* * *

"Poe, thank you for coming. How're you feeling?" Leia asks. It's been two weeks and any lingering pain and stiffness is gone. Poe's been exercising, his range of motion is back, and he is more than ready to get back out there. There are only so many ways to avoid seeing—and fighting—with Finn when he's stuck on the base. Finn didn't come to see him in medical, and has been gone a lot, but both Rey and Rose have tried to talk to Poe about whatever rift has developed between them, and Poe needs a break from their meddling and peace-making. Finn doesn't want anything to do with him anymore.

"I'm good, General," he says. "Ready to get back out there."

Leia eyes him thoughtfully. "Or ready to get out of here?"

"A bit of both," Poe admits. "I feel useless here. I want to make a difference out there."

She smiles at him and his heart melts a little, like it always does when he's with her. "Poe, you've done a lot for us on the ground. You always make a difference here. But I may have something for you, if you're up for it." The smile is replaced by trepidation, however.

"Anything," he says.

"Let's sit down," she replies. They are in her personal quarters on the _Tantive IV_ , and while she sits in a comfortable chair, Poe remains standing, instantly on alert.

"What's happened?" he asks. "Is it Finn?"

Leia raises an eyebrow. "I thought you weren't speaking," she replies, then catches herself. "I'm sorry, that's none of my business. But no, Finn is fine, as far as I know. He's due back in a few hours."

Poe lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Just because they don't work together anymore, or even talk, doesn't mean he wants to see Finn seriously injured. He's more relieved than he'll admit. "Good. Then what's the mission?"

"It's Jess and Iolo," she says with a sigh.

"I thought it was a quick run to Bespin," Poe says.

"They were outed," she says. "And we need to get to them before it's too late."

"Too late?" Poe asks, confused. "Were they captured?"

"And up for auction on Darlyn Boda tomorrow."

"Shit," he says, then frowns. "So, what are you thinking? I go in and buy them back? Money talks there."

"Poe," she says with a heavier sigh than usual. "We don't have nearly enough credits for what two Resistance pilots will cost at Darlyn Boda. Or the time to get enough before they're sold."

"So, you want me to talk 'em out? Steal them back? What are we thinking here?"

"I was hoping you might have some connections you could use to solve our credit problem," she says, and he understands immediately. He does have connections, both legitimate ones and more questionable ones. He even has an idea.

"I'll get them out," he says. "But it might get messy. You'll have to trust me."

"Poe, I always trust you," she says.

"Not everyone here does," he mutters under his breath.

"Oh, Poe," she says. "Is there anything—"

"It's fine," he tells her. "Give me a few hours to pull some things together and I'll be ready to go get 'em." He turns to leave, but she calls him back.

"Poe? Be careful."

"I try."

At least she doesn't tell him to try harder.

* * *

Finn reports to Leia almost as soon as they land. They'd only managed to secure half of what Boolio promised, forced to leave the other half behind in a ragtag escape when a First Order ship arrived. The failure stings; he's tired of them. For weeks, nothing's gone right, and Finn is almost ready to ground himself. He's constantly telling everyone else to be careful, to be safe, and yet he can't seem to pull off a successful mission himself. And he can't figure out what he's doing wrong.

The broken wrist doesn't help, either.

Leia hides her disappointment, but Finn knows he's let her down. They needed that shipment. He offers to go out again.

"Take a break, Finn," she tells him. "You've been working nonstop. If I didn't know better, I'd say you took a page from Poe's book."

"What?" he says. "I am not taking anything from Poe's book."

"You're volunteering for every mission you can and coming back from half of them in worse shape than when you left," she points out, motioning at his wrist. "If that's not straight from the Poe Dameron flight log, I don't know what is."

"Yeah, well, he would have come back with the full shipment," Finn mutters. He looks at her in panic, hoping he didn't give himself up.

"Is that what this is about?" she asks quietly, moving closer. "Finn, it's not a competition."

"I know," he tells her. "That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean, then?" she asks. "What's going on, Finn? Poe was here a little while ago, and his first thought when I asked him to sit down was that you were in trouble. He was worried. Whatever's going on between you two is hurting you both. I can sense it."

Finn wants to tell her everything, confess all his doubts and fears, ask her to help guide him, to understand. Instead, he bottles it up and shakes his head. "I'm sorry if it's causing problems on base, General," he tells her. "I'm happy to head back out so there's—"

"No," she interrupts him. "Go see Kalonia and get your wrist set, then get some rest. It's Poe's turn to get roughed up again."

"Is he on assignment?"

"Not yet," Leia tells him. "He's leaving in a few hours, though. Maybe you should talk to him before he goes."

"I'm sure he'll pull it off," Finn says. "He doesn't need me." He tips his head and turns to leave.

"Oh Finn," he hears her say quietly behind him. "I think you need each other more than you know."

* * *

"Poe!" Finn calls, and Poe forces his feet to stop, takes a deep breath before turning around. He doesn't want to fight, he's got an assignment and he needs to focus, otherwise Jess and Iolo could end up in First Order hands.

He turns and tries to look as normal as he can, but it's hard when Finn comes up looking worried. "What's wrong?" Poe asks immediately, and Finn does a double-take.

"What do you mean, what's wrong?"

"You look like something's wrong," Poe points out. He's already going on the defensive and sees it on Finn's face as well. He steps back, tries to stay calm. "But if nothing's wrong, I—wait, what happened to your hand?"

"What?" asks Finn, glancing down. His hand is wrapped in a bacta bandage and resting on a sling. "Oh, I broke it. It's fine now."

Poe nods slowly. "Oh. Okay. I'm glad you're all right. So, uh, what did you want to talk about? I gotta get my gear, I'm heading out soon." He holds back a wince at how impatient he sounds, especially when Finn tenses.

"I heard," Finn says "And I wanted to talk to you before you left." Poe raises his eyebrows in surprise and wishes he could keep those things inside better, but he _is_ surprised, after all. Finn rolls his eyes. "Yeah, I know, we—"

"We haven't talked in weeks," Poe finishes, too bitterly to his own ears. Once again, he's failed spectacularly at staying calm. An awkward silence descends between them.

"I wanted to apologize," Finn finally says. "About Kuat. I should have realized it wasn't legit, that you were flying into a trap. I'm sorry."

Poe shakes his head. "Don't be. You trusted him, and Snap's recon backed you up. Not your fault."

"It was my bad judgement call," Finn tells him, sounding bitter. "Again. And it landed you in the medical bay." He pauses. "Again."

"And I'm fine," Poe tells him, and he means it. He doesn't want Finn to worry, because then he'll start giving Poe a hard time. "Good as new, ready to go."

"Be careful," Finn says, his voice pained. "I mean it, Poe. You're not indestructible."

"I am careful," Poe says, tired of the same old argument. "I know you don't think so, but I don't try to get in trouble, or get shot, or get captured. And in case you haven't noticed—when I do get in trouble, I usually get out of it fine!"

"What if this is a trap, too?" Finn asks. "What if they took Jess and Iolo to get to you?"

"Doesn't matter," Poe replies. "I've still got to try. And believe it or not, I have a plan."

"Guns blazing, blast your way out?" Finn suggests. He shakes his head, stomps his foot in frustration "Poe, you can't just blow up everything!"

Poe steps forward, flings a finger in Finn's face because he is angry now and needs to let it all out before he leaves. "You know, Leia told me that once, too. So I've already learned that lesson, Finn. The hard way. I'm not going to blow up anything." He steps back. "I wish I knew why you stopped believing in me. I always thought you had my back."

Finn's eyes narrow and his voice rises. "I _do_ have your back. Which means if I think you're doing something stupid, I'm going to say something!"

"You don't even know what I'm going to do!" Poe exclaims. "And it's all you've been saying for weeks! Don't do this, and why did you do that, and be careful and stop and—kriff, Finn. What did I do to lose your _trust_?"

Finn's mouth works soundlessly for several seconds. Poe waves his hand in impatience. "Whatever it was, it's _your_ problem. I'm not going to stop doing what I do because you've got issues with the way I do it. I'm going to do whatever I have to in order to win this war, and your stamp of disapproval is _not_ going to stop me."

Poe turns to leave, his heart pounding in his chest. He hates this so much. Behind him, he hears Finn swear, then call out to him. "Poe!"

"I'll see you on the other side, Finn," he says. It's time to save his friends, not fight with the one friend he needs more than any other, but who is no longer there for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouch. Sorry. They'll figure it out, I'm sure. Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Three

Finn picks at his food, not particularly hungry. Rey tries to talk to him, but he hardly listens because he's messed up again, and it wasn't even on a mission. He'd tried to apologize, and yet it had all gone wrong: Poe left in anger, and Finn feels worse than before.

"Finn?" Rey asks. "Did you hear anything I said?"

"What?" he asks, then shakes his head. "Sorry, got a lot on my mind. And my arm hurts," he adds, but of course she knows he's lying. It's sore, but it's not what's bothering him. He ignores her skeptical look and stands. "I think I'm going to turn in early. Try to sort myself out."

"I'm here to talk if you need anything," she says, and he can feel her concern. He nods, appreciating it, but he needs to figure this out himself.

Instead of going to his bunk, Finn leaves the _Tantive IV_ and heads outside for some fresh air. His feet take him toward some of the paths they've trampled down over the last several months, and he walks alone, allowing himself to appreciate the sounds and feelings of the jungle. It's teeming with life, surrounding him and embracing him, and somehow, it calms him. He feels a part of it, of something bigger than his own problems. Finn focuses on that sense of connectedness, smiling as he runs his hands over yellow leaves as big as BB-8 and along the rough bark of silver trees.

As he focuses, his mind starts to settle. He thinks about all the missions he's gone on over the last few weeks, and how they all seem to have gone wrong in some way. Yet as he reflects on it, he starts to see all the good he's done as well: the supplies he's brought back, the intel. The lives he's saved because he is still fighting against the First Order. He tries not to focus on the failures, but it's difficult: why do so many missions still end in disappointment, in spite of small success?

He wonders when it all began, and considers his last few missions with Poe. That was when his inner voice started to let him down, leading him to the wrong decisions. Why then? And why does he reacts so strongly when he knows there are setbacks in any fight?

Finn does not want to fail. In the First Order, he would be punished and reconditioned, but he's not afraid of that with the Resistance. Instead, he fears letting them down, seeing someone get hurt because he failed. He's ashamed of his failures, and he realizes he's been taking out his fear and shame on Poe, when it was never Poe's fault.

Sure, there are times when Poe takes dangerous risks, but they are calculated. Poe knows what he's doing—most of the time. Yet Finn started calling him on it more and more, even yelled at him for being reckless. Why? To cover his own fear of failure, of inadequacy? Yes, but there's more.

It's the same reason why his instincts seem to fail him lately. Why he takes it out on Poe, pushing him away. Something is distracting him from the truth.

Finn stops walking, instead starts pacing and even muttering out loud to himself. It's starting to come together, if only he could reach out and grasp it…no, it's not just that. He needs to reach out and _accept_ it, stop denying it. What is he so distracted by that he's denied it's even there, and lost touch with the part of him he's counted on for so long to guide him? Yes, he's afraid of failing, of losing someone, of losing Poe, but—

 _Oh._ Finn sits down heavily against an enormous tree, leans his head back and gazes up into the leafy canopy of the forest. He almost laughs as the realization comes crashing down. Of course he doesn't want to lose someone, he doesn't want to lose Rey or Rose or anyone under his command. But Poe…Poe is different. And that's what is distracting him, what he's been pushing aside and denying to himself. It's why he's lost touch with his inner voice, that connection to his instincts that has always been so strong for him.

He cares for Poe. A lot.

So much that he's afraid of his feelings and buried them deep. So much he compensated by pushing Poe away, blaming the other man for being reckless when it was never Poe's fault, it was always Finn. Denying his feelings and losing that part of himself caused him to make bad decisions and poor choices, even reckless ones. To mess up and lash out, when all Finn has to do is admit it: he loves Poe.

"Kriffing hell," he mutters to the sky. He's been out for so long, turning it over, that it's starting to get dark. "What do I do now?"

Although he'd love for the answer to fall out of the sky, it doesn't. Finn takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. Rey talks a lot about her meditations, about trying to connect to the living Force around her. Finn often wonders if he too could be a part of what she feels, if he could learn the Force. Right now, he wants to connect back to himself, to that part of him he's lost touch with because he's been walking around in denial. Not anymore. He gets it now. He cares about Poe in a way that is different and deeper than anyone else, and he accepts it.

Yet he regrets his actions. He's been unfair to Poe, and he owes him an apology and the truth. But first Finn needs to reconnect with himself, to regain his own truth and power, because he's tired of being angry and afraid, of failing. He's going to be honest, and stronger, and—

"Rose," he murmurs, eyes flying open in surprise as he remembers her words to him so many months ago on Crait. "We don't fight against what we hate, we fight to save those we love."

By denying his feelings, Finn clearly couldn't fight to the best of his ability. He started fighting against something—himself, in many ways—rather than for something, for _someone_. He closes his eyes again, because maybe if he fights for what he loves, for those he cares about without trying to deny it, he can once again find his center, be true to himself. Reconnect.

The rightness of it settles in his chest, blossoming with warmth as he feels connected to everything around him in that moment. It fills him with peace and truth and faith in who he is, and in that moment, he sees—

_Death._

Poe, bloody and beaten. Iolo on the ground, a gruesome hole in his chest. Jess sprawled unnaturally beside him, her eyes staring blankly to the sky. Finn shouts as the searing light of a red lightsaber slashes through the vision, and he jerks forward, gasping with pain.

He has to go. Poe is in trouble, and Finn has to save him.

* * *

Poe hasn't been to Darlyn Boda in years, and it's not someplace he wanted to visit again. It's not as bad as Ord Mantell or Mos Eisley, certainly not Kijimi or Nar Shaddaa, but it's lawless, a rough place where money is the only rule and anyone with enough can find their place and power. It's been home to the Empire, the Rebel Alliance, criminal organizations, and Hutt clans—often all at once. Smugglers, bounty hunters, and pirates are equally at home in the jungles and steamy cities, and visitors—newcomers in particular—find little welcome.

He'd been there more than once in his youth, and once not long after he started working for Leia, so Poe is not a newcomer. He's not sure how he'll be received though, knowing his name is well associated with the Resistance now. He'd made contact with Grakkus the Hutt, hoping the Hutt lord would respond and make a deal. If the Hutt keeps his word, Poe will be meeting with the bounty hunter who grabbed Jess and Iolo, and they will all be on their way soon. BB-8 is waiting on the freighter they flew in, ready to leave fast.

The bounty hunter, a Twi'lek with lekku wrapped in velvet, meets Poe in the back room of a particularly seedy casino. The exchange is quick: Poe offers the meager amount Leia gave him, the Twi'lek scoffs and refuses, and Poe suggests calling Grakkus. The Twi'lek swears, knocks the table several times as if thinking, then nods, putting on a reluctant show. Poe slips the credit chip across the table; a code is left behind as the bounty hunter huffs, takes the credits, and leaves. Poe waits, then quickly follows. He almost can't leave fast enough; the place makes his skin crawl.

He's heard of the auctions on Darlyn Boda, a sort of underworld market of slaves, indentured servitude, sex workers, and even dangerous bounties for sale. The knocks told him what holding cell his people are in, and the code opens the door. It's almost too easy; Poe's got his hand on his blaster, a bad feeling in his gut that has him looking over his shoulder as he steps through. He's half expecting it to be empty.

Jess and Iolo glance up in surprise. They are sitting on the floor in binders, roughed up but otherwise uninjured, and Poe swears, because he didn't bring anything to release them. He improvises: they hold out their hands, and he shoots through the middle with his blaster, barely missing Jess's foot and sending sparks everywhere. He should have brought BB-8 with him, and remembers to comm him and tell him they're on the way. Checking the corridor, he motions the others out, moving quick before something goes wrong.

Which means that naturally, something goes wrong.

They are halfway back to the ship when Poe feels the end of a blaster pressed into his back, and another at his temple. "Hands up," growls a deep voice—a Rigellian, Poe thinks, and the muscled green arm he glimpses confirms it. Jess and Iolo stop as four more beings surround them, weapons raised. They are immediately prodded to keep walking, and Poe tries to follow, but is forced to stop as the Twi'lek he met for the deal steps out from a dark alcove, leveling another weapon.

"What the hell is going on?" Poe demands as one of the Rigellians grabs his arms and snaps a pair of binders on him before Poe can pull away—or hit his comm for BB-8. "We had a deal."

"We did," the Twi'lek agrees unexpectedly. "And your people will be safely escorted to their ship and released, as we agreed."

"Then let me go with them," Poe snaps. "This wasn't part of the deal!"

"Oh, the deal was that your friends go free. I never promised that _you_ would go with them."

"What?" Poe asks. "Are you kidding me? I want to talk to Grakkus, he will _ruin_ you for this."

The Twi'lek laughs. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him," he replies. "I suspect he'd agree anyway: I let them go because you are worth _far_ more than anyone else in the galaxy, except maybe Organa and the traitor." He grins and jabs Poe with his blaster. "Now, turn around, you've got an auction to be getting to. I happen to know the First Order is on their way and will pay dearly for you."

"Kriff off," Poe says, refusing to move. The Rigellian behind him slams its weapon against Poe's lower back, while the one next to him smashes the end of its blaster against Poe's temple. He staggers, but stays upright as blood trickles down the side of his head. "I'm not going anywhere," Poe says, staring down the Twi'lek. "Except back to my ship and off this hellhole."

The Twi'lek shakes his lekku. "Well, buyers won't mind a few bruises, I'm sure. Take care of him—not too much blood in that hair—then bring him down. The auction starts soon."

The Twi'lek walks away, and Poe is left with the two Rigellians—large, armored, and practically growling as they move closer. Poe fights back as best as he can with his hands bound, but he knows it's a losing battle given their reputation for strength and prowess. He just needs to stay conscious long enough to figure out a way to escape before he's taken to auction and sold to the highest bidder.

* * *

Finn runs from the cockpit of the _Falcon,_ yelling at Chewie to stay behind and be ready for a quick getaway. Because somehow, Finn knows it's going to be a race. He stops at the bottom of the ramp, glancing around the landing bay on Darlyn Boda. Not far away, he sees the ship Poe flew in on, a small, beat-up freighter they use when they don't want to be recognized. And Jess and Iolo are being marched toward it by four armed guards.

He's not sure if the two pilots notice him or the _Falcon,_ but before they reach Poe's freighter, they turn and attack. They catch their captors by surprise, laying one out immediately. But Jess takes a hard hit from a Palliduvan and staggers back, distracting Iolo just enough that he fails to duck when the rearmost guard fires, and he's hit in the side. The Keshian falls to the ground as Finn shouts from across the hanger and runs toward them, his blaster out. He picks off the woman who shot Iolo, then shoots a Zabrak in the leg as Jess wrestles with her Palliduvan.

He's almost there, moving to help Iolo— he can't get a good shot in without hitting Jess—only the Zabrak manages to get off two shots and hits Finn in his right arm. He switches hands—his wrist is still sore, but that's not going to stop him— and shoots the Zabrak in the head. BB-8 rolls down the ramp of the freighter then and bowls over the Palliduvan that Jess is fighting. She steps away in surprise, and Finn takes the last of them down. The fight is over, and hardly anyone in the hangar bothered to look up.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Jess snaps at Finn as she kneels beside Iolo. BB-8 boops softly: Iolo has a deep wound in his side and is breathing erratically, clearly in pain. It's not a life-threatening injury, not if they can get him help; at least it's not the smoking hole in his chest that Finn saw. And Jess is alive, too…but what about Poe?

"I'm here to help," Finn said. "Where's Poe?"

"He was double-crossed," she says, and BB-8 whistles shrilly. She pats him on his dome before turning back to Finn. "A Twi'lek took him, the hunter that got us. Probably to the auction."

Finn nods. "Okay, I need to find him fast, then. You get Iolo to the _Falcon._ Hook him up to the medpac, help him while Chewie flies you out."

"I'm going with you!" Jess protests.

"No," Finn says, too fast, because she looks at him in surprise. She's alive, and he needs to make sure she stays that way, that she doesn't end up dead in Poe's arms. "Go with Iolo, I'll get Poe out with the freighter."

She stares at him, clearly wanting to argue. "You need back up! You were shot, you know."

He glances at his arm: it's deep and burns like mad, but he can wrap it up and keep going. He doesn't know what to use, though, until Jess rips off part of her sleeve and hands it to him.

"Thanks," he says, tying it quick. B-88 whistles a question. "I need you to stay with Poe's ship. Lock it up until we get back, have it ready to go as soon as you see us coming."

Both Jess and BB-8 start to protest some more, but Chewie runs up to them then, growling loudly, and picks up Iolo. He starts back toward the _Falcon,_ and Jess turns to Finn. "Now I'm definitely going with you."

"No way," he says, shaking his head. "You need to stay with Iolo. Trust me, Jess. I can do this."

"But you don't have to do it alone!" she exclaims with an echo from BB-8. "It's my fault Poe's in trouble!"

"Of course it's not," Finn tells her. He lays his hand on her arm, turns her toward the _Falcon._ "He came here to help you, and he got you out. Don't let that be a waste. Get Iolo to safety. I'll get Poe. I promise." He puts as much confidence as he can into his words, and her shoulders slump.

"Fine, but we're not leaving until you comm us that you've got him. Because I'm coming in to rescue you both if you get caught, too." BB-8 whistles his agreement.

"I'm not going to get caught," Finn replies. "Now, tell me which way to go." He glances around and sees the local authorities coming toward them. He motions to BB-8, who zips up the ramp of the freighter and closes the ship. "Before they try to stop me."

She sees them, nods, and tells him where they were separated from Poe. Finn squeezes her arm and runs, leaving her to deal with the authorities. He suspects she'll hate him even more for making her stay behind and argue with the bureaucracy.

It doesn't matter. He has to keep that vision from happening. Iolo's been shot, but Jess is alive. He just hopes Poe is as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to mssrj_335 for talking through and looking over Finn's realization. And for this line: "Oh, the deal was that your friends go free. I never promised that you would go with them." As always, you get me unstuck when I'm stuck! The final chapter will be up on Friday or Saturday. Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Four

The two Rigellians drag Poe back toward the holding cells for the auction. He's not feeling great, so he doesn't resist—his left eye is swelling, he can taste blood, and he's pretty sure at least one rib is cracked again—and hopes they'll think he's weaker than he really is. It also gives him a moment to rest and figure out how he's going to get away before he's thrown in that cell. Because once he's in there, he knows his fate is sealed: he will be sold to the highest bidder, and his chances of escape will go down dramatically.

Poe moans and lets his body go abruptly limp; the Rigellian on his right stumbles with the unexpected change in weight and loosens their grip. Wrenching his arm away, Poe reaches out to grab the blaster from the Rigellian's leg holster before he hits the ground. He yanks his left arm away from his other captor, then rolls out of their reach and scrambles to his feet, blaster in hand.

A red bolt of energy sears past his temple before he shoots the armed Rigellian in the chest. Poe turns toward the other, only to watch the green-skinned alien topple over backward with a smoking hole in its head. He whirls around in shock, weapon raised . . and finds Finn standing there, hands up.

"It's just me!" he exclaims, looking alarmed.

"Finn!" Poe sags in relief. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Helping you escape," Finn replies. "Come on, Chewie's got Jess and Iolo on the _Falcon._ We can take your ship."

Poe glances down at the two dead Rigellians. "If we can get out of here without any more trouble."

"Oh, I'm sure they're already looking for you, me, and the others. It's a hot mess. Let's go!"

Poe nods, still confused. How did Finn even know where he was? Leia must have told him, but why? And why was he there? Helping Poe escape…did he not think Poe could get Jess and Iolo out on his own? Was this Finn once again demonstrating his lack of trust and faith in Poe, to the point that he flew out to interrupt Poe's very classified and very dangerous mission?

It bothers him. In fact, Poe finds himself growing more and more upset as they hurry back to the landing bay. There's a firefight with the Twi'lek and several members of his crew, and Poe vents his frustration over both the bounty hunter's betrayal and Finn's unexpected appearance, viciously taking down more than half of them as Finn hits the rest. It's over quickly, and they make it onto the ship relatively unscathed, ignoring the authorities shouting behind them.

Poe runs to the cockpit and throws himself into the pilot's seat. He starts the ship, sends a departure signal to the hanger, and takes off without waiting. He'd told Leia it might get messy, but this is worse than he'd thought: they need to get out of there fast. He comms the _Falcon,_ not ready to talk to Finn yet.

"Chewie, it's Poe. You with me? Jess and Iolo there?"

There is an affirmative growl on the other end. Chewbacca tells him Jess is with Iolo in the medbunk, but the Keshian will be okay, especially once they get back to Ajan Kloss. Poe feels his stomach clench; what happened to Iolo? He signs off with the other ship as they leave the atmosphere and starts calculating the jump back home.

The proximity alarm goes off. "First Order's here," Finn shouts, pointing needlessly through the viewport. Poe can see it just fine: a _Raider-_ class Corvette with clear identifying marks. Definitely the First Order, like the Twi'lek had said.

"Hang on," Poe tells him. "This ship handles kind of rough." He hits the comm for the _Falcon. "_ Watch that Corvette, Chewie. Punch it when you can, we're right behind you!"

Unfortunately, the Corvette sees the _Falcon_ and opens fire; Chewie's good, but Iolo's injured and Jess is the only gunner; they need both sets of quad lasers firing against a Corvette, and a co-pilot to help make the jump while Chewie outruns the enemy. Poe flips a switch and pulls up hard, doubling back toward the Corvette.

"What the hell are you doing?" Finn shouts. Poe transfers control of the guns to his panel and lays into the Corvette in a searing fly-by. He hears Chewie roar at him over the comms.

"They want the _Falcon,_ " Poe tells both him and Finn. "They're not getting it. Chewie, I'll take another pass and distract 'em, you get the hell out of here."

The Wookie protests, and Poe can hear Jess in the background.

"That's an order, Captain," he shouts at her. "Get Iolo back to base."

"You better not try anything fancy, Dameron!" Jess comes in clear over the comms.

"I know what I'm doing. And you'll know when to go. Ready?"

"Not really," Finn murmurs, even though Poe wasn't talking to him. Poe hears the other man take a deep breath. "But what do you want me to do?"

Poe looks at him in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. What do you need?"

"Take the guns. Fire everything we've got as I charge 'em. I've got…" He fiddles with a knob. "I've got coordinates set. I'm going to punch it at the last second and let them eat my stardust."

He can't help but grin as he glances at Finn, who opens his mouth—probably to protest—and then shuts it. "Got it. Ready when you are."

Poe makes a large loop, so that he's facing the Corvette again. He hears Jess swear on the comms—she knows exactly what he's going to do— but ignores her and glances at Finn, who nods. Poe nods back and hits sublight as fast as he can in the old freighter. Finn lays on the guns, firing everything they have as Poe tears toward the First Order ship. The Corvette is too stunned at the brazen charge to fire back immediately, and couldn't hit them anyway, because Poe knows what he's doing: he's moving fast and he's weaving like a drunk podracer, making them almost impossible to hit, even with the Corvette's numerous guns. He hears Jess sign off on comms and knows they've made the jump to escape.

"Time to go!" he shouts at Finn, and jerks them straight up before jumping to lightspeed. They leave the First Order and Darlyn Boda behind in a blaze of star streak.

Poe closes his eyes and releases a long breath, his heart racing. He turns to Finn, suddenly unsure what to say and hoping they're not about to have another fight over his reckless flying. . . only Finn is leaning back in the co-pilot's seat, his eyes closed, his breathing tight.

"Finn?" Poe asks in alarm. He reaches over and touches the other man on the arm. "Finn, you okay?"

Finn's eyes fly open and he nods. "Fine," he says, but now that Poe's looking closely, he can see the strain in Finn's eyes, the way he's pursing his lips. He's hurt, which is when Poe also notices the bloodied bandage on the man's right arm.

"Kriff, you were shot!" he exclaims. "When did you get shot? Hang on!"

He turns back to the controls, checks they're good, then stands and pulls Finn up with him. Finn's leg stutters beneath him, and Poe sees another blaster burn on his thigh. "Come on," he says. "You've got one on your leg, too."

"I'm fine," Finn tells him, shaking his head. "It's the adrenaline crash."

"I've been shot, I know it hurts," Poe tells him, moving them forward and relieved when Finn doesn't resist. "Especially when you get hit twice. And you don't look so good, so let me help."

"You don't look so good either," Finn tells him, limping only slightly. "They rough you up?"

"They had their fun," Poe murmurs, looking away. He can only imagine what he looks like; he feels like he's probably a bruised, bloody mess. "But I wasn't shot." And fortunately, he hasn't hit the adrenaline crash yet; when he does, he'll probably be as bad off as Finn.

"It's not that bad," Finn insists.

"Then why are you barely moving?" Poe asks. They reach the small hold of the freighter, and he practically drags Finn over to a bench and pushes him down. Grabbing the medpac, he starts unwrapping Finn's makeshift bandage and cleaning the wound on his arm.

"All right, how did you get this one?"

"Jess and Iolo turned on the gang that had them," he says. "I shot most of them, but one of 'em got me."

"And your leg?" Poe asks.

Finn shakes his head. "Must have been when we were running toward the freighter. Don't even remember it."

"Of course not," Poe murmurs, but he's smiling. And then the smile falls from his face and his hand slows as he realizes: Finn was shot. He came all this way to help Poe—for whatever reasons—and he got shot. Twice. Not seriously, but it could have been much worse. He could have been killed coming after Poe…and Poe would never see him again, never talk to him again. He'd left in anger, and suddenly it seems so irrelevant. Why do they keep fighting when they could die any day?

"What's wrong?" Finn asks, pulling him from his thoughts. "Is it that bad?"

"What?" Poe asks. "No, uh—it looks ugly, but I've seen worse. You'll be okay, especially once Kalonia looks at it." He goes back to cleaning the wound and dressing it. Now that he's thought it, he may as well say it. He's tired of the doubt, the fighting. There has to be a reason, and something they can do to get past it. He wants this again—fighting side by side with Finn, flying with him. Taking care of him when he's hurt.

Poe takes a deep breath and meets Finn's eyes. "Look, Finn…thanks for your help back there…but what are you doing here? How did you even know where I was?"

* * *

"What are you doing here? How did you even know where I was?"

Finn sighs and waits until Poe finishes with his arm. He stretches his shoulder a little, then nods. "The General told me."

"I assume she had a good reason?" Poe asks, clearly bothered. He motions at Finn's leg, but Finn shakes his head. They should probably talk first.

"I might have made up a good reason for her to tell me," Finn admits. "Because I needed to be here. I had to help. I had…well, a very strong feeling that something bad was going to happen to you, and the others."

Poe stiffens and steps away, crosses his arms over his chest. Finn can almost feel the door slamming shut between them. "Something bad?" Poe asks. "We're back on this? I'm so reckless, you have to come running to my rescue?"

"No!" Finn exclaims. "It's not like that at all!" He did not come all this way to make it worse, not when he's finally done something right. He blows out a breath, frustrated with how badly he's botched this already, except this time he understands what's happening. He knows himself, can stop from growing defensive and snapping back. Poe is wrong, but only because Finn hasn't talked to him about anything. He's spent weeks either avoiding Poe, or grinding on him for being reckless. Considering Poe not only got Jess and Iolo out safely, escaped from two large Rigellians, and flew like an ace to get them away from a First Order ship, he is anything but reckless.

Finn, however, probably is.

"Look," he starts, standing to face Poe on even terms and ignoring the sting in his leg. He tries to keep his voice low and even, calm, even if his heart is beating nervously. "After you left, I had a chance to figure some things out, why things have been so rough between us lately."

Poe's face softens the slightest. Finn has the impression the other man wants to talk, but still needs to maintain that skeptical defense. He's protecting himself, like Finn has been doing. So he lets Poe keep his distance, and he doesn't let his own defensiveness take over in frustration. "And why's that?" Poe asks.

"It's me," Finn tells him. "It's all me. It's not you at all. You did nothing wrong. You're not a reckless idiot, you're the best damn pilot we've got. You know what you're doing more than any of us, and you're kriffing good at it."

Poe frowns. "Okay," he replies slowly. "Thanks for that, but what changed your mind? It's all you've been yelling at me about for weeks."

"I know, and I'm sorry." Finn takes another deep breath. "I don't want it to be like this between us anymore. I want to go back to flying missions again. We're good together—we make a hell of a team."

The smallest hint of a smile pulls at Poe's lips. "Yeah, I know. And I miss it, I really do. But Finn…I don't want to go out and end up shouting at each other again. I don't need to be second-guessed on everything I do—I can second-guess myself just fine."

"I told you, that's over. I get it now. It wasn't you, it was me."

"That sounds like a break-up line." Poe raises an eyebrow. "Only you said you want to keep working together. I don't get it."

Finn is going to have to explain everything, lay it all out. It's a risk, and he doesn't know what to say, but he starts talking anyway. He has to, or he could lose everything.

"Okay," he says. "When I said I figured some things out, one of them was why I've been giving you a hard time. And I meant what I said—it's not you, it's me. You're not the one always screwing up, making the wrong decisions, and ruining the mission. I am." Poe frowns again, starts to open his mouth to speak, but Finn stops him. "No, let me finish. Think about it. Think of how many missions we went on that I kriffed up—that guy who got shot passing you intel, getting stuck on Dantooine, crashing the speeder. And it kept happening—the Kuat intel, dropping half my supplies, breaking my wrist." He laughs bitterly as he glances down at his hand, healed but stiff. "I did all that on my own. _I_ messed up, yet I still took it out on _you._ "

"Hang on, buddy," Poe says, before Finn can continue. "Those things? That's not messing up, that's the way fighting back works! If that's messing up, I'm right there with you. I'm the one who ended up in a bacta tank after Kuat, who got myself caught by that damn bounty hunter trying to free Jess and Iolo. It's not you, Finn—it's _them_. You can't control what they do—you can't even predict it, you can only fight back and do your best."

Finn stares at him, wondering why he's so surprised at Poe's empathy and understanding when he shouldn't be. There is a part of him that feels like he doesn't deserve it, and yet…Poe's right, isn't he? Maybe it's not only Finn, it's the other side, too. Maybe he can't control or predict what they may do, but he can still control what he does, and do better. And he knows how to do that, now.

"You might be right," he grudgingly admits. "To a degree. But I know it's also me. I've been feeling off for a while, ever since this started. Like I can't do anything right. And that's the other thing I understand now. Why I've been feeling out of touch with myself—with my instincts. I wasn't listening, and I made the wrong choices, the wrong decisions."

"Finn, you do more right in one day than most people do in a year," Poe tells him.

Finn shakes his head. "Thanks, but you're wrong. I messed up, but I understand, and it's not going to happen anymore. I'm listening now."

Poe looks skeptical, though in a fond way. "Well, I'm glad to hear that, even if I don't understand half of it. I hope you're right." He reaches out and puts his hand on Finn's shoulder. "I've missed being out there with you. We _are_ a hell of a team."

Finn reaches for Poe as well. "I know we are. We were pretty good out there in the hangar, right?"

"Except for you getting shot," Poe murmurs, then laughs at the look on Finn's face. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I'm glad you're all right. Thanks for coming after me."

There is a sudden lump in Finn's throat, and for a moment he can only nod, before he can speak. "I don't want to lose you," he finally says. "I mean that. I don't want anything to happen to you, and I'm not gonna let it."

Poe's eyes crinkle as he smiles and looks away. "You know I'd do the same for you, Finn," he says softly when he glances back. Their eyes meet, and Finn swallows, wondering if he's ready to take the biggest risk yet, wanting so badly to lean forward and press his lips to Poe's. To let him know what he really means, how he really feels, without having to say it. He licks his lips, and Poe glances at his mouth, eyes widening for a moment…before he steps back with a cough and an apology.

"Sorry, didn't mean to get so intense on you," he murmurs. "Er, want some help with your leg?"

Finn's heart is racing, and he senses this is one of those moments where he has to make a decision that could go very right, or very wrong. He breathes in, reaches out, reconnects with his feelings so he can stay on the right path. And then he steps forward, moving closer to Poe, because his path is clear.

"No," he says. "Poe?"

Poe looks unsure, like he wants to step backward again. So Finn holds out his hand and tries not to sigh in relief when Poe takes it, glancing down in surprise at their entwined fingers before meeting Finn's eyes.

"I'm sorry," Finn tells him. He takes another step, clasps Poe's hand tight so he doesn't move. To his surprise, Poe smiles and doesn't try to escape.

"I'm sorry, too," he says, and Finn raises an eyebrow.

"What for?"

"I don't know." Poe laughs, and Finn grins before Poe grows serious far quicker than usual. "I'm sorry you had to come all this way, for one. And I'm sorry you got shot for it."

Finn steps closer again and pulls Poe into an embrace, earning a surprised 'oof' this time. "I missed this," he murmurs into Poe's neck.

"What, getting shot?"

"No, rescuing you, of course." Poe protests, and Finn smiles again, tucked up against him. It feels right, this closeness. "I'm not going to lose this again—I'm not losing _you_."

"I'll try not to be so reckless," Poe replies, and Finn can hear the smirk in the other man's voice. He pulls back to look him in the eye.

"You're not reckless," Finn replies. "I am."

He takes Poe's face in his hands and kisses him, and is struck by a sudden, staggering realization when Poe wraps his arms around Finn's waist and kisses him back: maybe they're both a little bit reckless.

And maybe that's why they're so good together, in more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! Thank you for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed the ending. I appreciate all the comments and kudos and look forward to writing more for these wonderful characters!


End file.
